Sango's Challenge
by Sango45
Summary: Sango gets a challenge from an old rival from her past. She only has one week to train or she loses something very dear to her. Will she succeed? Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**Sango's Challenge:**

**By: animal luver-45**

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. It belongs to the great Rumiko Takahashi. **

It was a calm, crisp morning in feudal Japan. The newly hatched bluebirds were flapping there wings and chirping endlessly, high in the maple trees. The temperature was a perfect 80 degrees, not too hot not too cool. The sun was just peaking over the tree lines that surrounded the village, and the sky was a dazzling swirl of pink, orange and yellow.

There was no-one in sight, for it was far too early for anyone to be out of their wooden huts. The pin sized grass blades that separated hut from hut were shining beautifully from the jewels that were morning dew. To those who had lived their lives in their small, secluded villages it was the most beautiful thing to be seen, but Sango and the others knew better. They knew that the peace could be broken at any given moment by some demon that had come to attack the village.

They were ready, always ready. After all Naraku was defeated so they had nothing else to do, not that anyone minded them being there in Kaede's village. The villagers were very grateful always giving them herbs and crops ect. Besides, Sango loved to protect things and the rest of the group never minded. They were quite content.

Inuyasha and Kagome were mated, and lived in a small cabin far away at the base of the forest. Naraku had been defeated a couple of months ago and Miroku had not yet shown his feelings to Sango, who had thought it was because they were all busy slaying demons. She knew he harbored feelings for her and she did him, but she was too stubborn to admit it. Sango eventually had convinced herself that he only liked her body, not the real her. Miroku on the other hand thought that Sango didn't like him because of his perverted ways, he would show his love for her by they groping her or doing something else perverted.

Then just like that, a crash rang out through the village. Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo shot up immediately from their restless slumber, a routine thing. Sango quickly grabbed her hiraikotsu, while Miroku seized his four ringed staff. All four of them raced outside only to be greeted with a five foot bore demon, easy prey. Inuyasha and Kagome had gotten there earlier and were fighting three full grown bore demons.

Sango examined the demons. They had red beady eyes, large sharp tusks, smelled horrid, and had left Sango with a strange felling that something awful was going to happen. "You guys stay here and I'll go help Inuyasha and Kagome!" Sango ordered as she sped off swinging her boomerang at one of the demons as she went.

"Shippo can you handle him?" Miroku asked. Shippo had trained intensely after Naraku's defeat and had improved greatly in his fighting skills.

"Of course, this is the weakest demon that has come here to get the jewel in a month!" He replied triumphantly while swinging his katana at the boar.

Shippo had managed to get an arm off of the bear, and he let off a wail that could have shattered glass. Shippo was stunned, wincing and holding his ears. Miroku, being human, it didn't have any effect on his weak ears. He grabbed his staff and sutras and ran at the bear, jumped up ad threw the sutras on the bear, leaving him paralyzed. Shippo soon recovered and slayed the bear demon with a fatal swing of his sword in the heart.

**Meanwhile**

Sango sprinted off to where Kagome and Inuyasha were, screamed hiraikotsu and swung her boomerang at the bore to the left. Inuyasha was working on another demon without his tetsusaiga, because it was almost broken. He still kept it to his side in case a demon threatened his or Kagome's life and he turned full demon. Kagome was trying to defeat another demon with her priestess powers and her bow and arrows. She, to had improved greatly in the past couple of months, she hardly ever missed.

Sango's hiraikotsu tore off one off the demons legs and he fell onto the hard damp soil. She then grabbed her katana and stabbed him in the gut. He died instantly. Inuyasha had defeated the other demon with his blades of blood, and Kagome her arrows. All was well until a scream was heard. It came from Miroku. Sango looked back to were Shippo Miroku And Kirara were. Miroku was nowhere in sight

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Sorry about the length, I wrote this awhile ago and I didn't really feel like editting it up that much. The Next chapters will be better, though. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Sango's Challenge:**

**By: sango45**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha **

**Chapter 2: The challenge**

**(A/N): W****ell... I didn't get as many reviews as I had hoped, but at least I got one! This chapter is dedicated to the one person who reviewed. Thank you. Now, on to chapter 2!**

**Recap:**

Sango's hiraikotsu tore off one off the demons legs and he fell onto the hard damp soil. She then grabbed her katana and stabbed him in the gut. He died instantly. Inuyasha had defeated the other demon with his blades of blood, and Kagome her arrows. All was well until a scream was heard. It came from Miroku. Sango looked back to were Shippo Miroku and Kirara were. Miroku was nowhere in sight…

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"Where's Miroku?" Sango asked no one in particular, "Where did he go?" Sango ran over to where Shippo and Kirara were standing, dumbfounded.

"Where's Miroku?" She asked again directing her question to Shippo.

"I don't know. One minute he was standing here, while I was trying to kill the demon and then this weird purple smoke came. When it lifted Miroku was gone. Do you think he was taken hostage?"

He looked over at Sango. Her eyes had glazed over to a creamy light brown, like when Kohaku was under control by Naraku.

"Hello…" Shippo said after awhile, waving his hand in front of Sango's face. Sango's eyes lost there controlled look and returned to there original chocolate brown color. Yet you could see determination and hate in them, not a very uncommon sight.

Sango glanced to the right just in time to see a note float away in the wind. Shippo—who noticed it too—jumped up, grabbed it, and read the front. **Sango** was all it said, but in very neat handwriting Shippo noted. He hurriedly handed it to Sango who looked like she was about to go on a killing spree, and ran out of there as fast as he could.

Sango opened the note not even bothering to read who it was from. She screamed up to the sky, "Damn you Akira!" and threw the letter on the ground.

**Meanwhile:**

Inuyasha jumped when he heard Sango scream, "Damn you Akira!" He and Kagome gazed over at Sango throwing down the letter and they rushed over to her friend to see what the matter was. When Sango saw Kagome and Inuyasha running over to her she instantly darted away, not wanting to cry in front of anyone. Sango was far away in the woods by the time that they got to where she was. Inuyasha looked at the ground and picked up the slightly damp note. It read, in beautiful handwriting,

_**Dearest Sango,**_

_**I have taken your love Miroku captive. If you can defeat me in a battle in 1 week, without the help of your little friends you can have Miroku back unharmed. But if you cannot defeat me, I get the Jewel of the four souls and Miroku will suffer a long and painful death. You know where to find me…**_

_**Akira**_

Kagome gasped after she read the note. "What is it Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"Miroku's been taken hostage" he answered gravely, "And Sango's run off."

"What?" Kagome said as her eyes grew wide when she read the letter, "Should we go find Sango?" he asked after awhile.

"No, I think she wants to be alone. From what she has said about this Akira guy he's about three times stronger than her, so she'll have to do some intense training. Besides she is really angry right now and I don't really feel like having my head bit off," Inuyasha replied to a glum Kagome.

**Meanwhile (with Sango):**

Sango ran blindly through the forest, not caring that stray branches and twigs were tearing, and scratching all of her unprotected flesh. Not caring that with ever step she took her feet were getting more blistered and her breath becoming shorter. All she could think about was Miroku and how she was going to get her revenge on Akira for taking him away. Normally she would have chased after the person that took something that important to her away

Sooner or later Sango had to stop running. She sat at the base of an old tree and leaned her back against it. Then she did what she was trying to prevent herself from doing earlier. She cried. She let all her emotions slide down her cheeks and soak into the soil below. She had eventually cried her self to sleep right there at the base off the tree.

**Later:**

Sango woke up and glanced at the sky. The sun was almost all the way set. She decided that she had better get back before the others got worried. She felt a wetness on her cheek, she had been crying in her sleep.

_Maybe I do love him... _She thought

_but he'll never love me in the same way _she argued

_how do you know? How many women have you seen with him since Naraku was defeated?_

_Well... none, but I don't know what he does behind closed doors._

_Admit it, you love him_

_O.K. O.K! I love him. Now go away! _

_I knew it!_

_Of course you knew it, you're my conscience!_

Just as soon as that thought entered her head she noticed that she had made it to Kaede's Village. She walked around for a while until she found the oh-so familiar hut. The hut that withstanded many troubles and seen many hardships. Like Demon attacks, Inuyasha and Kagome quarrels, Shippo and Miroku beatings, and much more. Kaede's Hut.

When she walked into the hut she saw Kagome, Inuyasha, and Shippo sitting around doing nothing. Kagome jumped up, ran to her. and embraced her in a suffocating bearlike hug.

"Where have you been? We were so worried! Are you alright? What happened?" Kagome was shooting out a million Questions a minute.

"Calm down Kagome!" Shippo said and pried her loose from Sango.

**Awhile later:**

"So all of you know everything huh?" Sango asked.

" Yep everything, so what are you going to do?" Kagome inquired

"Well, I know of a demon slaying village just three days from here that I could learn some new techniques from." Sango replied

"Are you leaving tomorrow?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes, now I'm going to go to sleep. I have a long day tomorrow. Good night." And Sango closed her eyes only to be greeted by a restless slumber.

**(A/N): Please review!! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Sango's Challenge **

**By: Sango45**

**Disclaimer: I Don't own Inuyasha**

**Chapter three:**

* * *

**Recap:**

"So all of you know everything huh?" Sango asked.

"Yep everything, so what are you going to do?" Kagome inquired

"Well, I know of a demon slaying village just three days from here that I could learn some new techniques from." Sango replied

"Are you leaving tomorrow?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes, now I'm going to go to sleep I have a long day tomorrow. Good night." And Sango closed her eyes, only to be greeted by a restless slumber.

**Now:**

Sango awoke to the smell of ramen and very loud bickering going on between certain, hanyou, miko, and kitsune. Kagome was yelling at Inuyasha and Shippo to quiet down so Sango could sleep, and Inuyasha and Shippo were arguing over ramen. Inuyasha hit Shippo and Kagome sat him, _I guess things don't change no matter how old you get_, Sango thought with a smile. That smile faltered when she was reminded of the times Miroku had touched her bottom or certain other places..._He doesn't really love me I was just drowsy earlier, I don't love him! But I will save him as a good friend should! But… why do I feel this way? _She shrugged it off.Then got up, cleaned her sleeping area, and got ready for her journey to the demon slayers village.

**With Miroku and Akira:**

Miroku had been traveling for a day now, with his hands and feet tied together. His mouth was gagged with a blue cloth, and he was blind folded. He was on the back of a creature that was similar to the creature that traveled with Sesshomaru that the little girl, Rin, rode on. Obviously his capturer didn't want him to find out where he was being taken. It was around early morning, which Miroku could tell from his immobilized state. It was completely opposite from the previous day, the sun was barley shining, hidden between dark gray clouds laden with rain that threatened to unleash its fury at any given moment.

"_Where is he taking me? Why did he take me? Who is he?" _Miroku questioned himself, _"I hope Sango's O.K. But then again, she is probably not worried I'm gone. What am I thinking? I know she's worried! ... I'm so confused!_

As Miroku was arguing with himself, he, the creature that was carrying Miroku and his captivator neared the gate of a huge castle. Miroku was thrown onto the hard ground brutally by one of the castles guards. He was then forced to walk the rest of the way, blindly of course, by the same castle guard that threw him onto the ground. After much stumbling and struggling, the guard decided to remove the blindfold and untie Miroku's legs, after all if he ran they would catch him, and if he screamed no one would hear him, they were very far away from any villages.

It took Miroku awhile to adjust to the brightness of the sun and regain his balance after not moving for a whole day. When he did, he took a good look at the castle he was being led to. It was a beautiful shade of creamy brown, with a dark black shingled roof. It was three stories high and looked fit for an emperor. This castle was much bigger than Naraku's castle was. There was along winding path made of smooth white pebbles, which led to the front entrance of the castle. There were miles and miles of rich green grass, that stretched out as far as the eye can see. It looked to be fit for an emperor, with its high and mighty walls around the castle, as to keep even bugs out of the castle grounds.

Miroku did not fight the castle guard, because he knew that they would catch him if he ran or struggled. Besides, he didn't have his staff or sutras with him so it wouldn't be much of a battle anyway. As he was pulled into the castle like a slave would be pulled by a slave driver, he noticed a peculiar flag next to the gate. The symbol looked familiar but, he couldn't place it.

As he entered the castle he again looked at it in awe, with its large and splendor paintings of very rich and famous people. The castle also had many rooms going up a huge grand staircase made of shining and sparkling marble. Each room was just as grand as the outside of the castle. With large futons, clear windows with lovely shades of colors on the curtains that matched the bed covers. Each room had a different style to it which made the whole house seem to sparkle.

When they got to the end of a long hall, Miroku was shoved into a cold room. The door slammed shut and Miroku could hear it bolt behind him. He looked around the cold room. It was nothing like the other parts of the castle, there wasn't any furniture, the floor was cold and stained with blood, it looked like a torture chamber. _Then again it probably is, _Miroku thought, _I wonder how Sango is doing..._ and he lied down on the floor and fell into a restless slumber.

**With Sango and the others:**

"Okay, that's everything." Sango said as she packed up a huge purple bag similar to Kagome's yellow bag. "Bye guys." She said.

"You're not going alone! I'm coming with you." Shippo said.

"No Shippo. I have to go alone, you can't come."

Kagome looked at her like she had a third eye. "WHAT!? You expected us to let you go alone? YEAH RIGHT; AS IF!" Kagome screamed.

"Yeah!" Inuyasha and Shippo said in unison.

Sango rolled her eyes. "Fine whatever…" She grabbed her bag and started heading towards the door. "You all better get packed now, I'll be waiting outside" She said dully.

"Sango seems really hurt by this… She really misses Miroku." Kagome said worriedly looking outside the hut. Sango was sitting on a log with her head bent down covering her eyes. She was crying. Not sobbing, but tears were falling from her face onto the hard dirt ground. "I'm going to go talk to her." She told Inuyasha and Shippo.

"Okay" Shippo said. Inuyasha was too busy packing (and looking for more ramen) to notice anything.

"Sango?" Kagome asked, "Are you alright?"

Sango looked up, alarmed furiously wiping tears from her eyes. "Huh? Of course I'm fine," She mumbled. "I just had something in my eye"

"Sango… You're worried about Miroku aren't you?"

No response.

"Sango? Hello?"

"…"

She was crying again.

"I.. just want to be alone now… Can we talk later?" Sango asked sobbing.

Kagome looked at her dear friend sadly. "Sure I'll just go help Inuyasha and Shippo pack."

Sango nodded and wiped her eyes. "Hurry we need to leave soon."

**With Miroku:**

_Well buddy, looks like you've gotten yourself into a hell of a mess this time _Miroku thought. He could hear someone talking. "Yes" an old cracking voice said. "She fell for the bait; the demon slayer should be here in about a week."

_Demon slayer? Sango! She's coming here… Oh no… Sango don't come! It's a trap! _He begged in his mind hoping that somehow, someway Sango would get his warning.

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Please review!! 


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